Time for a little art project as summer winds down. The Shecklets and I each picked out a pottery piece to paint. Shecklet #2 spent nearly 2 hours taping lines in his llama before he could even start painting! We are all looking forward to seeing the finished products – after being fired and glazed with a clear coat.
I took the Shecklets on a bike ride (a.k.a. vestibular therapy) on this beautiful summer Saturday. (Next time we will take Jake with us. He went to his parents’ cabin to help with cleaning up from last week’s storm.)
One and a half years ago I was waking up “on the other side” of surgery with a new lease on life, but unable to see straight or walk without assistance. Tonight I’m walking a relatively straight line by myself and using this quiet time to reflect a little.
The doctors told me that I would see huge improvements in the first 6 months post-op with additional slower/smaller improvements possible over 1.5 – 2 years post-op. Most of the time, when people ask how I’m doing, my response is, “I’m doing really well. I’m grateful that I only have minimal side-effects to deal with.” And that’s the truth. I cannot be more happy with how well things have gone post-surgery.
There is a reality that I’m facing though. In reaching the 1.5 year post-op mark, I’m most likely now at what could be considered my “new normal.” I knew before surgery that I would come out of it SSD and there was the possibility of nerve damage. And let’s be honest here – I had BRAIN surgery. You don’t go through something like that and remain the same.
I have grieved losing my hearing in my right ear and feel like I have adjusted pretty well overall. But that doesn’t mean being SSD, having no sense of taste on half of my tongue, the constant ringing in my deaf ear (tinnitus,) and fighting fatigue aren’t frustrating. (They’re very frustrating in certain situations – I just try hard to hide that frustration.) There are days where I wish I didn’t have to tell my kids 137 times, “I can’t hear you,” or “Wrong side.” There are times when I wish I could thoroughly enjoy the flavor of a meal or dessert. I will likely always have to manage fatigue (due to physical exertion as well as sensory overload.) I have also found that my agitation threshold is much lower than it used to be – my brain can only take so much stimulation before it has had enough. The agitation and fatigue are the most challenging side-effects for me, but I’ve gotten much better at recognizing when they’re coming on and either remove myself to take a walk or a nap – depending on which one I’m dealing with. I’m extremely grateful for a supportive husband and kids who quickly learned that mom just needs breaks to recharge – like the opportunity I got tonight.
My SIL, (Jake’s youngest sister,) is having her first baby. She is due in September with a little boy. The Shecklets are excited to have a new cousin 💙
I found a photo from the baby shower that Jake’s sisters threw me a little over 13 years ago…amazing how much happens in a little over a decade.
This kid got braces on today! Expected timeline is two years, which means he will hopefully get them off before he starts high school. (Yikes, did I just type that? 😬)
We spent the day at Nissedalen with over 40 family members. The weather was fantastic, the food was tasty, and the memories we made were plentiful. I love that my kids get to experience the gift of having a large extended family. There’s always someone to talk to, play with, or laugh alongside. And to think – this is just a portion of the family!
One thing that I enjoyed watching (this year especially,) was the way that Jake’s younger cousins (who are now all adults) have taken an interest in showing my kids how to do certain things – helping them ski, how to safely use a gun at the shooting range, as well as taking the time to talk with them and ask about their interests.
Here are the rest of the photos from Cousins’ Day and the shooting range the day before.
Jake’s cousin, Jess, let the guys ride up north with her on Friday AM. I followed the next day with the girls.